February 27th: Galaxy Bubbles Orange

Kcal 172 Fat 10.6g Carbs 16.9g (per bar)

A year on from the launch of Mars's original Galaxy Bubbles we today take a look at the first variety extension, the Galaxy Bubbles Orange. According to this source (See HERE), this orange variety is a limited edition and was chosen as it 'ranked the highest out of various flavour variants in consumer tests'. I for one would love to have known what the other options were, however the article fails to make reference to them. You may also like to know that Mars are also running an on-pack competition to coincide with the launch. 'Win a Million Moments, offers customers a chance to win and choose from a prize fund of £13.0m, with each pack containing a unique code that can be entered at www.galaxychocolate.co.uk, or sent via text'. Rather curiously the pack fails to bring light to this on the front.

Like it's original milk chocolate sibling this orange variant weighs 31.0g and is a bar split in to six individual pieces. To my knowledge the bar is currently being distributed in Tesco and Sainsburys, though I'm pretty sure it is also being sold in many highstreet stores such as Boots and Superdrug. In regards to the wrapper the obvious changes had been implemented to the pack, with the use of orange colouring and images to highlight the new variety. Although there was no indication of any aesthetic changes to the actual chocolate blocks, the fragrant and welcoming orange fruit scents made the flavouring very obvious.

A year ago when the Bubbles bar first launched I was pretty critical of it, and didn't see much in the way of it's value to the existing range. Having now given this orange variety a try, I'm pleased to report that I felt a lot more positive about my experience after consuming it. My problem with the initial bar was that I just didn't see the point of the bar given that it was essentially just a smaller/lighter version of the original Galaxy bar that didn't expose the usual Galaxy thick, soft melt. Whilst this Orange variety still didn't provide much in the way of value for money based on it's size, the format suited the taste as the orange flavouring was enabled to be delivered with the correct amount of intensity. Indeed, with the lighter textured aerated melt, the sweet orange element was nicely balanced in terms of strength against the usual creamy milkiness. Whilst I still couldn't say this was a totally satisfying chocolate bar, the extra flavour dimension did give it a somewhat more satisfying feel.

Overall this Galaxy Bubbles Orange exceeded my expectations and I found it to be a more positive experience than I first thought it might be. The style of the aerated inner texture certainly suited the flavouring, and though I still missed the standard soft melt mouth feel of standard Galaxy chocolate, the aerated sensation came across as a fitting format for added orange sweetness. In conclusion I would feel happy suggesting this to chocolate orange fans, though I still have a bone of contention to pick when it comes to the price/kg thing. £0.57 for a bar that weighs only 31.0g is rather cheeky - given it's a limited edition chocolate I wouldn't be surprised if some of the independent retailers stick a bit more on top of that RRP. I wouldn't go getting overly upset if this one passes you by, but it's worth a try if you are into all things orangey.